Familiar Faces
by AthenaJuTiva
Summary: It had been two years after Ziva had left her surrogate family in D.C. But most of all it had been two years since she had left the love her of life, Tony. Will being forced together everyday bring them back together?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, this story is written by two people who just really love TIVA, and when I say two people I mean one wrote most of it, and the other just made minor changes and edited it. We are going to try and update this story every week if possible, but don't hold it against us if it doesn't work out that way. This fandom had brought us together, so that we are able to write stories like these. You know the ones where GG didn't screw everything up. So without further rambling from us, here is Familiar Faces. **

**Please Review, and what not. We would greatly appreciate it! :) **

**-A&J **

* * *

It has been two years since she left, two years since she had seen her surrogate family. That was the last time she had seen Tony. She will never forget that October night, standing on that tarmac in Tel Aviv, watching that pair of sad eyes. She will never forget how he had been continuously pleading her to come home with him till the very last minute. She can still hear his voice echoing in her head, "I'm fighting for you, Ziva." That alone gives her hope that he has not moved on, and that he is still fighting for them. But of everything that happened those couple of days in Israel, she will never forget the 'goodbye' kiss that they shared that night. No it was not a 'goodbye' kiss, as in this is the last time, but as in a 'goodbye' kiss, as this is not only for now, for we will see each other again.

She swears that sometimes she can still faintly feel his lips on hers, even the taste of him after their kiss. That kiss had meant so much to her, especially when she woke up to an empty bed. She would just remember that even though she was alone at that moment, she still had that kiss to show her that in a way she was not alone. That kiss had been her comfort since that night on the tarmac in Israel. It is also the reason that she was now standing on the Dulles Tarmac in D.C. after being absent for two years, coming to face her biggest challenge in her life, to vindicate the life she always wanted, and to vindicate Tony.

The first day that she actually spent in D.C. wasn't any different than she would've two years ago.

She woke up at 4 to do her usual morning run. She decided to let her legs lead the way, she should have known that they would have led her to a familiar place from her past. A smile crept on her face as she realized where she ended up; her old apartment. Ha, 'there's no such things as coincidence' Ziva thought. She made her way to a bench across and stared at her old apartment, memories flooding her mind, like how she moved there after she returned from Somalia, to the night that she invited the whole team over for dinner. From Ducky's endless stories, Abby's rib crushing hugs, and Tony's consistent movie references. Tony… Oh Tony, she thought as her smile faded.

He was the only constant thing in her life since she first had came to America. 'Having phone sex?' Her smile started to reappear on her face as she remembered their first meeting. Tony was the one on the team that she had the most memories with, such as their undercover mission, the summer Gibbs retired, when he rescued her in Somalia, Paris, Berlin, and the most recent memory was Israel, the kiss that the shared at the airport right before she sent him home without her. Ziva shook her head, 'stop it,' she told herself, 'it has been two years, he has moved on'.

She got up from the bench, her mind racing, and ran back to her new apartment so she could change.

The sound of the sander stroking the wood filled the half dark basement of the MCRT leader. The team just wrapped up the murders of two petty officers, which took them almost two weeks to close the case that had included drugs and human trafficking. Finding the relaxation in emerging himself in his woodwork, he heard someone coming down the stairs, someone he hadn't heard in a long time. 'It can't be," he thought to himself.

Although he made everyone think that he didn't care about Ziva's absence, but in reality it hurt like hell. He felt as much pain, maybe more for the absent of Ziva, than he did for Kate. It was more of the pain he had when he lost Shannon and Kelly.

"Gibbs," the familiar footsteps dragged him out of his thoughts, looking up towards the direction of the voice. He was proven right, that it was indeed the one person he thought it would never be.

"Ziver?" Was the only thing he managed to say. When he was sure that she was really there, he got up making his way to her. She didn't move, she just stood there, waiting for him to make some indication that he was okay with her being there. When he opened his arms to hug her, she surprised him when she threw herself into him.

"I am back, Gibbs. Back for good," she said crying into his shoulder.

"Welcome home, kid," Gibbs kissed her forehead, without ever leaving her hug, "welcome home," he said smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, sorry for such a delay on this story. I started college so I have been really busy with that, so I couldn't keep up with Athena. But I hope to from now on. We have hopefully figured something out that will make it easier for us to post the chapters! **

**Thank you all for the favorites/follows/reviews we really appreciate it. **

**-A&J **

* * *

After Ziva and Gibbs emotions were in check, mostly Ziva. Gibbs pulled out a stool for Ziva and for himself.

"So," Gibbs said breaking the silence first as he was filled two jars of bourbon. "Where have you been all this time? We hadn't heard anything for you...not phone call, not even email," he continued, passing a jar of bourbon to Ziva.

"Thank you," she offered him a soft smile as she sat. "Well I stayed in Israel for a while. Then I started to travel. I went to see Monique in Colombia. She needed help with the kids down there so I thought that I were I was needed. After that I went back to Israel because Aunt Nettie got sick, but she is better now. And now the bombs are happening and I came home," she shrugged.

"It has been horrible without you, kid. And the bombing made it even worst, because we didn't know if you were okay," Gibbs said

She nodded. "Yes it has been. I volunteered in the Israeli Army…" Gibbs raised his eyebrow with interest. Which made Ziva chuckle a little, "no, Gibbs, I was not a solider. We transported food to the soldiers, tried to take care of their injuries, but nothing more. I haven't had gun in my hand for two years. Since the Parsa case to be exact," She stood up and started walking around the basement. "I started traveling again, but not to help people or anything. I went back to the places where I went the summer I stayed in Israel."

"And what made you come home, Ziver?" Gibbs asked.

"You... All of you... My family... Maybe my biological family is dead but I still have you... You said to me that night I called you and told you that I decided to stay in Israel, that as much as it hurts, you respected my decision and that your door is always open, right?" she asked. "Now, before you ask, Gibbs," she sighed "I am going to be honest with you. I am not 100 percent healed. I still have to deal with some situations."

"Ziva, you know that the door is always open. Not just with me but with all of us," he said as he reached across the sanding table to pat her arm.

Ziva smiled with appreciation, "so, enough talking about me. How is everyone? How is the team and your father?" She asked.

"The team is fine. My father, he is uh…" His voice cracked and his smile faded, "my father died a year after you left."

"Oh, Gibbs, I am sorry. I did not know, if had I would have..." Gibbs cut her off.

"Hey it's okay. I know you needed to this for you," he said calmly.

After a couple of moments of silence, Gibbs was the first one to break it. With the answer to Ziva's question she did not dare to ask because she did not know how. But of course Gibbs knew what his former agent was thinking and answered the unspoken question.

"He's fine you know," Gibbs said with a slight smirk.

"Who?" Ziva asks with confusion

"You know, Ziver. Dinozzo," he said without even thinking what her reaction might be.

Ziva got upset with just the mention of his name.

"The first time," Gibbs looked at her and continued, "was pretty hard for him to cope with your absence, but after a little time the pain started to ease a bit, but it was still obvious," Gibbs stopped, thinking that maybe she would say something but she didn't say a word. "The past year he tried to move on," that caught Ziva's attention. She was right. She was too late, but did she expect for him to wait forever for her to find herself? Of course, she want him to wait, because of the way they left things that night in Tel Aviv, where he tried to convince her to come back with him until the very last second, and her she still refused him. But she guessed if she thought about it, her refusing him, even after the kiss that meant so much to her, he thought that it was the beginning and the end of them, so he really thought he needed to move on.

"However, no matter how hard he has tried to get over you, he can't and won't," Ziva was ready to argue that fact, but Gibbs stopped her, "Ziva, listen, I don't want to know what happened between you and Tony in Israel, but whatever it was, it was strong enough for Tony to actually try a relationship, which lasted only two months."

'Of course, typical Tony,' Ziva thought.

Gibbs sensed that she was starting to get uncomfortable, so he change the subject.

"So you're living in hotel, right?"

"Well, I am renting an apartment, but I was informed by my lawyer that before Eli died, he bought me a house in Georgetown, hoping one day I would get marry and settled down. It is pretty ironic, yes?" Ziva said with a sarcastic smile.

"It's never too late, Ziva. What are you going to do about a job?" Gibbs asked.

"I do not know," she shrugged

"Ziver, if you want to come I'm sure Le…" She cut him off before he was even able to finish Vance's name.

"No, no that would be like I am returning to my old life," she shook her head.

"Ziva, please listen to me. Being an NCIS agent has nothing to do with your past at Mossad," he tried to counter.

"Yes I know but…" he cut her off before she could say no.

"Please, just try it out and if it doesn't work, you can leave. And just know that there is always place for you to our team," he said with a soft smile.

Ziva kissed Gibbs' cheek, "thank you, Gibbs for everything."

"Anytime, Kid. Now go get some sleep, Ziver. I'll be waiting for you tomorrow at 10:00 am precisely in the bull-pen," he nodded towards the stairs.

"Goodnight, Gibbs," Ziva said as she headed up the stairs, "and thank you again."

After he was sure that Ziva was gone he sighed contently, with a smile on his face. His 'family' was finally whole again and he couldn't be happier.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay, college sucks. Hope you like this chapter, we are starting to get somewhere! :)**

**-A&J**

* * *

"Ding," the familiar sound of someone arriving on the elevator on the MCRT floor. Anthony DiNozzo Jr. stepped out, groaned of frustration for having to be a work. For the last two years it was unusual for him to be late for work. Sometimes he was even in the office in before McGee. He was nominated for the NCIS agent of the year but he didn't care. He really didn't care when he lost to Gibbs. Besides he could be nominated for every award possible but he would trade every single one of them if it meant that he would get his ninja back.

Tony approached the bullpen slowly and carefully, trying to avoid his boss, because he knew he was going to have consequences.

"You're late, DiNozzo," McGee shouted.

"Good morning to you too, McGee," Tony said sarcastically. Glancing around the bullpen seeing that no one was around, he asked, "where is everyone?"

"Well Boss has been locked in the director's offices since 7:30 and Bishop is nowhere to be found." McGee looked at the time, "she has been missing for about 15 minutes now."

"Well maybe she decided to empty the vending machine completely of Doritos… Hey did you notice that ever since Bishop came to NCIS the lack of junk food in the vending machine?" Tony asked a little more happy than intended.

"Wow, Tony, you seem happy today. I suppose your date last night went well," McGee stated.

"What date?" Tony asked confused.

"The date that you kept mumbling about? Gibbs almost slapped you for it, and he hasn't slapped you since…" McGee bit his tongue before the forbidden name slipped. Tony knew what he was going to say, why he would just say it, he doesn't know, so he just put his poker face on and acted as if he didn't hear McGee's comment.

"Oh Rachel. Yeah, it was a good date, and what happened after was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G," he made sure that he emphasized every letter of the word.

"I thought you said her name was Erin?" McGee asked raising an eyebrow.

"Erin, Rachel, doesn't matter, Probie, the only thing that does, was that she was HOT," Tony exclaimed.

Over the past year Tony started to brag about his one night stands that were all but a big lie. A creation of his imagination. Of course he was dating but nothing more, just a drink, or dinner. He did try to move on with a girl named Amanda. She looked an awful lot like Ziva, same hair, same skin color, but she wasn't Ziva.

Tony sat in silence at his desk and put his head in hands, "I am so pathetic" he thought, "man up, DiNozzo, she's not coming back. She probably has already settled down with someone else. Just move on, already," he tried to tell himself. "Even if she has forgot you, you will never forget her." Tony sighed as he thought of all of those things, and of how he almost wrecked every lie he had told since she had left, because if anyone had found out about his supposed "one night stands" they would laugh at him. But little did he know McGee already knew that he was lying about his dates.

A few weeks ago, Tony told McGee that he had a date with a hot blonde named Sophia. McGee also went out that night but he didn't except to see Tony there at the bar alone with a glass of scotch, instead of a hot blonde. McGee watched him without being spotted. The last time he had ever saw Tony this sad was when the summer Ziva was declared dead on the Damocles. That moment when he saw Tony sitting there all alone, drinking by himself, Bishops words from a few weeks ago popped into his head.

_**Flashback  
**_"_He's lying!" Bishop blurted out as she sat in the passenger seat._

_"You think the husband is lying?" McGee questioned her._

_"No, McGee, I'm not talking about the husband or the case. I'm talking about Tony," Ellie explained._

_"How did Tony came up so suddenly? And what is he lying about?"_

_"Something is bugging me, McGee. I mean do you really believe that he can do all of these one night stands? I mean he's bragging all the time for his conquest, I don't believe him. Especially after everything you guys have told me about him and Ziva, is it?" Bishop explained._

_"You didn't know him 9 year ago, Ellie. Then you would have understand that he would actually do something like this," he countered._

_"Still," Bishop continued, leaning against the window. "I doubt if he has even kissed one of those women that he claims to have slept with," McGee turned to looked at her. "Ok, so maybe his kissed one or two of them, but nothing more because according to Abby after coming back from Israel…"_

_"After coming back from Israel?" McGee cut her off, "he had a real hard time and after one year he tried to move on and the next thing he knows, is that this girl he was dating for two months she wanted to get married." _

_"She didn't ask to get married. She asked for their relationship to move on to the next level," Ellie stated._

_"Which is marriage," McGee clarified._

_"Maybe the next level was..." She trailed off. _

_"Was what?"McGee pressed._

_"Sex," Ellie stated._

_McGee started laughing. "So you're telling that Tony, the man that can't be in a room with a woman without the thought of sex, dated a girl for two months and didn't have sex with her? Ha. You're crazy."_

_"Well, she was Ziva's bad substitute," she countered. _

_"Amanda was not Ziva's substitute and she definitely wasn't bad," McGee argued_

_"Oh come on McGee, are you blind? Same features, same character," Ellie said. _

_"Come on, we only met Amanda once, and besides you never met Ziva, so you can't even compare," McGee looked at her. _

_"I may have never met Ziva, but Abby was one of her best friends and from what she has told me, that is my conclusion. Amanda was a bad substitute for Ziva. And when I meet her I am positive that I will right," Ellie huffed. _

"_So are you saying that, you think Ziva will back?" McGee questioned._

_"I bet fifty bucks on it. She will be back in D.C. by the end of the year," Ellie stated with a smirk._

_"I sure hope you're right."  
__**End of flashback **_

So the next day he very discreetly asked Tony about his date with "Sophia" and he calm that she was one of the hottest women he has ever met. And that is when everything clicked, for McGee; Ellie was right.

"Hey McDaydream, time to wake up," Tony said as he waved his hands in front McGee's face.

"Hey sorry. I was just thinking."

"You okay?"

"Yes, Tony everything is fine," McGee said. Tony was about to say something when the elevator dinged revealing a very quirky Bishop holding a Doritos bag.

"Where have you been, Bishop?" Tony asked.

"Gibbs told me to inform Abby to come up to the bull-pen at 10 o'clock with Ducky and Palmer, because he has an announcement to make."

"And do you know what it is about?" Tony pressed.

"Nope, not at all."

"Why did you go downstairs? You could have just called her," McGee stated.

Bishop extended the bag of Doritos, "Does this answer your question?" She smirked.

Soon Abby, Ducky and Palmer joined the group in the bullpen, anxiously waiting and wondering what Gibbs was going to announce. Gibbs and Vance made their way down the stairs and joined the rest of them.

"So I am sure you are wonder why I have asked you all here." He paused. "We are adding a new team member to our team."

"Look, Bishop you won't be Probie anymore, someone else will. Man, I can't wait to prank him," Tony exclaimed earning a death glare from Gibbs. "Shutting up, Boss."

"First of all, the new team member isn't a Probie, they have worked with us before," Gibbs clarified.

"So who is this person that will be joining the team that we have already worked with?" Ducky asked Gibbs.

The elevator dinged and the team looked to see who had arrived. Their jaws dropped. "Right on time," Gibbs said with a smirk.

"Hello everyone."


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for such a delay, the last couple of weeks have been really busy. Also we are sorry for any mistakes, if there are any we are terribly sorry!

-A&J

* * *

Everyone had their own thoughts and reactions. Shock, confusion and happiness flashed over all of their faces, will most of them were happy.

"Bishop, I don't think that we need to tell you who this is," Gibbs stated, with a smirk.

"Yeah, I know who this is. Hi, I'm probationary age…"

"Ah, Ziva you came back!" Abby squealed, giving Ziva a signature Abby hug. "Please tell me you're back for good," Abby pushed her far enough away so that she could see her face.

"Yes, Abby, I came back to D.C... for good. I am not going anywhere. I miss you so much..." she trailed off "all of you..." she glanced at Tony as she said it. He looked younger, thinner, well-built like he spent a lot of his time to gym.

"Well Ziva, in that case, welcome back. We've missed you a lot," McGee said.

"Thank you, McGee. Me too," she turned to Tony again, "I just want you to know that I had to do this. For me."

"Well my dear, your two year absence did you well. You look wonderful," Ducky pointed out.

"Thank you, Ducky. You are always too kind," Ziva smiled.

"I'm very happy you're back, my dear."

"Me too, Ducky, me too."

During everyone's hellos, and hugs, Tony stayed as far as he could away from Ziva. He didn't show any emotion or say a word to anyone. After Ziva and Bishop finally had a proper introduction, and she was welcomed by Palmer. She explained to the team, that being an agent maybe temporary, because of everything that she has done these past two years. It was time for her to face the one person she was worried about the most. Ziva turned to Tony with a sad smile, she was about to say something to him, Tony ran out of the bull-pen, completely ignoring her. Ziva was ready to follow him, but Gibbs caught her arm and whispered, "He needs time."

The whole team witnessed the reaction that she received from Tony. They all had been hurt by Ziva's departure, but Tony was hurt the most. Because he was the one who spent a whole summer searching for her in the Middle East. He was the only one who said goodbye. Which was the hardest goodbye in his life, and the hardest 180 he has ever been through.  
After the whole thing that happened in the bull-pen with Tony, Ziva made her way upstairs to director's office with Gibbs, so they could do paperwork. Fortunately for her, the director didn't asked her to pass the FLECT again, as a 'thank you' for taking down his wife's killer. After signing her name on what felt like hundreds of documents, she was finally able to take her badge, gun, and her credentials with the name 'Special Agent Ziva David'.

After the excitement this morning, Gibbs gave them team the rest of the day and weekend off and told them to be back Monday morning. Bishop offered to give Ziva her desk back, but she didn't accepted the offer considering that this all might be temporary, plus the tension between her Tony, she didn't know how well sitting next across from him would go. However, she did appreciate Bishop's gesture a lot.  
Everything was a blur since he saw her face in the bullpen. One minute she was nowhere to be found and the next she was standing in front him with that Mona-Lisa smile that made his heart beat faster than anyone ever had. After he left the bull-pen, he went to his car and just drove, thinking about how hard these last two years have been without her. No matter how long it has been since she decided not to come back with him, he could still not move on, or stop thinking about what their lives could be like now. Sighing, he headed to his apartment. He poured himself a glass of bourbon, and sat on the couch. He knew that this was going to be a weekend full of thinking of her and drinking. And how he was going to be able to face her on Monday at NCIS.

Ziva could not stop thinking about what happen in the bull-pen with Tony yesterday. But she knew that she had things that needed to be done before she went back to work at NCIS Monday.

Eli's proxy attorney in D.C. had made all the arrangements for her to move into her new house. He also made sure that it would be relatively quick. Ziva had a few more arrangements to make, but they weren't enough to keep her distracted from what happened yesterday.

When he left her in Israel, she thought that they had parted on good terms and that he understood that she needed to find herself in order for her to ever be able to love the way that he deserved. And that she needed to do it alone. She thought that giving him her necklace, he would understand the promise, that they will meet again, but apparently she was wrong. Ziva lied awake in her new king-sized bed, trying everything that she could to fall asleep, but nothing was working. She sighed as she looked at the clock, (12:34 a.m) 'great' she thought, 'it is Saturday night and I am laying in bed in this a huge house, alone.' Groaning in frustration she threw the covers off of her, "I need to talk to him in person. Or I will never sleep," she said as she sat up.

Meanwhile Tony was in his apartment, sitting on the couch drinking beer, eating pizza and thinking about Ziva. He still couldn't believe that she was back at NCIS, and back in his life, after two years of not being there. Slowly and unsteadily he got up off the couch and headed to his bedroom, and as soon as his head hit the pillow he was asleep.

Ziva had hardly slept at all, she had bags under her eyes because she couldn't do anything but think of what she was going to say to Tony. She took a cab to Tony's apartment, she made a mental note to herself to buy a car, that way she did not have to depend on others.

She stepped out of the elevator, and walked down the hall until she was standing exactly in front of Tony's door. She was sweating and had butterflies in her stomach, she had faced rapists, murderers and terrorists, but she could not face Tony, the one person in the world that would never harm her. 'Why is this so hard?' she thought, 'that's because you love him and you have always been a coward when it comes to love, Ziva' she told herself. Taking a deep breath, she extended her finger to ring the doorbell. "It is now or never," she mumbled to herself as she rang the doorbell.

She gathered her all strength she had, so she could face him when he answered the door. But, she waited and he did not come, so she rang the bell again, and again, and still nothing. "Tony," she yelled. "Tony, are you in there?" Still no answer. So she turned and made her way to the elevator. 'Maybe he is not home, or maybe he is and just does not want to talk to me,' Ziva thought to herself. Making a mental not to corner him at work Monday so that they could figure this all out.


	5. Chapter 5

Tony woke up to a faint knocking and an unbearable hangover. "Shit," he exclaimed, as he got up to glance at his phone. He had no missed calls, so maybe he was dreaming about the knocking, he sighed in relief. If he didn't have any miss calls and there wasn't a continued beating on the door, then he was in the clear for now, but he could only guess that the faint knocking that he heard was part of a dream that he could not remember.

Monday came quickly, for Ziva's return as special agent at NCIS. She was determined more than ever to talk to Tony, and he was determined to avoid her in any way possible. She stepped out of the elevator and headed to the orange walls of the bull-pen, she never thought that she would ever actually miss that awful color, but she had. She went to her newly claimed desk, which was stationed next to McGee. She dropped her backpack behind her desk and plopped down in her chair, when she noticed a card, saying "Welcome Back". It was signed by everyone on the team, even Tony, 'Tony' she thought to herself. After what happened Friday, she didn't really know if he was happy that she was back or not. But she was going to find out that answer today when she would finally get to talk to him, and then she would be one-hundred percent sure if he was or not.

Everybody had shown up to work, except Tony. This was the second day in a row that he was late for work. As the team talked about Ziva's new house and filled out paperwork, the ding of the elevator sounded, and out walked Tony.

"Nice of you to join us, DiNozzo," Gibbs said sarcastically.

"Sorry, boss. Overslept. Won't happen again," Tony pleaded.

"Sure, it won't," Gibbs grunted.

Tony dropped his backpack next to his desk, and then plopped himself into his chair with a huff, and started typing away on his computer.

"Hey, Tony, Ziva was telling us about her new house and invited all of us over dinner tomorrow night," Ellie said with enthusiasm. Ziva tried to watch his reaction, but he didn't react at all.

"I hope Agent David will forgive me, but I will not be at this dinner. I have already made plans," Tony stated coldly.

Bishop and McGee exchanged a look, "A date, Tony?" Bishop asked, raising an eyebrow.  
Ziva tensed when she heard the word. Her heart started beating furiously waiting for him to answer. His hesitation made Ziva's stomach drop, and her face fall. Gibbs watched her reaction to the situation at hand, and noted that he needed to have them talk before this got out of hand.

"Not that it concerns you, but no, I'm going out with some old buddies from Baltimore," Tony answered, never taking his eyes off his computer screen. Ziva let out the breath she was holding, and visibly relaxed.

"Okay, that's of enough talking, get back to work," Gibbs barked.

Their whole day consisted of paperwork until Gibbs said, "Go home."  
Before Tony, left, he made his way to the men's room. Ziva saw this as her chance to talk to him. She managed to slip by unnoticed while she followed Tony. Tony was washing his hands in the sink when he heard the door cracking open. He didn't pay any attention to who came through the door until he heard the voice that belonged to that person.  
"Why you did you lie about your plans tomorrow?" Ziva asked as she closed and locked the door behind her.

"What do you want Zee-vah?" Tony asked her while he grabbed a paper towel to dry his hands without making an eye contact with her

"I want to know why you lied about your plans tomorrow." She repeated her previous question, "because I know when you lie Tony," she said crossing her arms in from of her chest and stood next to him at the sink.

The truth was she didn't know him anymore. The Tony she grew to love as a partner, as a friend, and as something more within the last couple of years had nothing to do with the Tony who was standing in front of her right now. This Tony wasn't the Tony who kissed her on that tarmac a few years ago. This Tony was another man.

"I don't care. Whatever you want to believe," he answered sternly.

"I'll be waiting for you, Tony."

"Well don't be because I've already told you I won't. Besides, I don't understand your obsession with me being there! The first time you didn't even have the kindness to invite me and now you keep pushing me to come! Is this a way of making it up to me for leaving?"

"Tony," Ziva said placing herself against the wall so she could face him still keeping her arms always crossed on her chest, "I thought that that night in the airport we..."

"We what Ziva?" He cut her off and faced her with full of anger, "that we separated on good terms? That I had to understand that you needed to do this alone when I begged you to come back to D.C. with me so that I could change with you and you rejected me?" Tony couldn't stop himself.

Ziva lowered her eyes to the floor, not from a shame but because tears were pooling her eyes.

"I am sorr-"

"Rule 6, Agent David. Never say you're sorry, it's a sign of weakness." He answered coldly.

Ziva rose her head and looked into Tony eyes, tears still pooling her eyes. "So you are not happy to see me and you don't want any connection with me, right?" She asked.

"Honestly Ziva, if you would've asked me few days ago I would have said yes, I would have been happy but now, frankly I don't know..." he answered. 

"l see," Ziva said swallowing a lump in her throat. Pushing herself from the wall and uncrossing her arms, she walked towards the door. Before she opened the door she turned her head to Tony who was looking his reflection in the mirror. "By the way Tony, one thing that I've learned during my spiritual trip the last two years is that when you really apologize to someone, it is something that needs a lot of courage." With that, she unlocked the door and left him standing there.

The next day, Ziva was the first one that arrived at work. McGee was next, followed by Bishop and few minutes later Tony showed up. After yesterday's events, and knowing that she's not welcomed by Tony, she was determined not to approach him again. After a half an hour, Gibbs showed up with a cup a coffee in his hands. Being the second day in the row that they were working on paperwork, it was very boring but seemed no-one to protest it, not even Tony. When it was lunch time, Ziva stood up from her desk and headed to Gibbs' desk sitting in front of him she asked him, "Gibbs, may I talk with you?" Gibbs raised his eyes up to her to make an eye contact with her, "in private," she clarified.

"Ok, my office," he said and both of them made their way to the elevator. McGee threw a questioning look to Bishop and she just shrugged. Tony was completely focus on his computer typing his report, hitting the keys rather furiously. 

Ziva was anxious while she and Gibbs waited for the elevator to arrive. As soon as they stepped into the elevator and it came to life, Gibbs flicked the emergency switch off and it came to halt. Before Gibbs even managed to turn his head to face Ziva, she "dropped" the bomb...

"I am resigning," she blurted out.

"What?" After an eight year partnership, it was the first time that Ziva had seen a shocked Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

"You heard what I said, Gibbs, I am resigning," she repeated.

"Ziva, listen..."

"No. You listen to me." She cut him off, "I gave it a try. But I can't do it not anymore," her voice cracked.

"It's about DiNozzo." He said more as a statement than a question. She didn't answer him, instead, she lowered herself onto the floor and crossed her arms on her chest placing herself against the cool metal. 

Gibbs sighed scratched the back of his head and faced her, "just give him time to adjust to the fact that you are back."

"Gibbs, you have always been the closest thing I have ever had to a father," she said looking him in the eyes, "and you know that. You also know that it is the right thing for me to do."

"Ziva, I can't let you do that," he said as a lump formed in his throat, "please give it a chance," his voice cracked.

"Gibbs, I am not leaving D.C. I am just leaving NCIS. Are you willing to jeopardize the team's integrity? What about when we're out in the field, huh? Are you willing to jeopardize Ellie's and Tim's life because I cannot corporate with Tony?" She told him. She was right. He couldn't. This team was his family, his children and he couldn't do that to them. But he also he knew that he couldn't give up on her.

"Two weeks. Just give it two weeks and if it's not better by then, I'll let you resign," Gibbs offered as a compromise.

"No Gibbs, when we need to go out to the field, what will happen then?"

"I'll pair you with McGee or Bishop. Besides, you have been here one day and she already looks up to you," Gibbs said with a shy smile.

"I am not a person that she should be looking up to, especially a girl like Ellie," Ziva said looking at her shoes.

"Oh yes you are. You've changed since you've come to America. You became a better person even if you don't believe it," Gibbs said as he flicked the emergency switch back on and the elevator came back to life.

"What if it doesn't work out, Gibbs? Then what we will do?"

"We will see Ziver, but I won't let you leave team. Any of you for that fact." He stated sternly. "So what's for dinner tonight?" Gibbs asked with a smirk.

Ziva chuckled, "I want it to be a surprise, if I tell you then it would not be." Ziva headed back to the squad room and McGee's and Bishop's eyes followed her. "Is there anything that you would like to ask?" she asked settling herself into her desk.

"Huh, yeah, what time do you want us to come for dinner?" McGee asked.

"Six o'clock, Tim, although I think it was not your real question was it?" Ziva asked him.

"No, Ziva, that was my real question," McGee tried to cover his anxiety.

"Where's Tony?" asked Bishop.

"Coffee run," McGee replied as both he and Bishop moved their eyes to Ziva.

"I can feel you watching me," Ziva said not taking her eyes of the computer screen,  
immediately both of them paid attention to their computers screens.

'Tony was right,' McGee thought, 'damn ninja skills'. 

Gibbs headed to the elevator to see Ducky. After the elevators doors opened widely, the Scottish man's voice filled the cold room," I suppose, Jethro, you didn't come for a professional visit as we haven't had a new case for couple of days."

"More like a social visit I would say," Gibbs stated as Ducky handed him a glass of Scotch.

"Fifteen year old genuine Scotch," Ducky stated, "a colleague of mine in Medical School sent to me. Better than bourbon," Ducky continued, clapping his glass with Gibbs' as he drew a chair to sit in so he could face Gibbs who sat at the edge of the autopsy table.

"Ziver wanted to resign today," Gibbs told Ducky as he took one sip of his Scotch.  
Ducky raised an eyebrow," she said that this situation with DiNozzo would be the integrity of the team and the lives of its members are at stake once we are in the field."

"She has a good point, Jethro, hasn't she? You were lucky those days that there were no cases."

Gibbs nodded, "I told her to give it two weeks and that I'll pair her with McGee or Bishop for now."

"You are right, Jethro, but you have to act fast before Vance splits the team again. He knows what's going on, he's not silly, he's just waiting to see where this whole mess will lead to," Ducky warned.

"I know, Duck, I know."

There was a silence for a while until Gibbs spoke again, "you know, Ducky," holding his glass with both of his hands, "sometimes I wonder what if... what if I had let them break rule 12? Would they have given in to the temptation? Would they have been together?"

"Oh yes, they would have given in but it wouldn't have lasted," Ducky said without hesitation. This caught Gibbs' attention.

"After Somalia though," he continued, "they could have made it work."

"I'm afraid that it's too late for them Duck," he confessed drinking the last sip of his Scotch.

"You know, Jethro, they remind me a little bit of you and Jenny," Ducky said smiling.

"Yes, in stubbornness and the fight maybe, but in love they remind me of Shannon and I. Thanks for the drink, Duck," Gibbs said to Ducky as he walked to the elevator.

"Anytime my friend, anytime."


	6. Chapter 6

Hello, here is chapter 6. Hope you like it. All mistakes are ours, so sorry if there are any.

-A&J

* * *

Dinner time came quickly, everyone was at Ziva's house on time, everyone except Tony. Ziva expected it, especially after yesterday's conversation in the men's room, but it still hurt like hell. She hoped that he would change his mind and show up anyway, but he didn't. No one said anything about him missing because that knew how sore that subject was.

After a tour of the house, they all sat at the table and ate, laughing and drinking. They all finished their dinner, and help clean the dining room. They migrated to the living room with their drinks, sitting around, telling stories about their lives the two past years. They were all curious about Ziva's life in Israel during the bombings, where she volunteered in Israeli Army. She told them how her relationship with Orli came to good terms and she that she finally understood that the Director of Mossad really did love her father.

She also managed to get to know Bishop a little bit better, like the quirky way she behaved and the way she ate most of the chips, she could not help but to think of Tali. Bishop reminded her of Tali in a lot of a ways, besides if Tali was alive she would be almost the same age with Bishop. And maybe that was the reason that Ziva felt that she needed protect her like she could not protect her own sister.

The smile that Ziva had plastered on her face quickly faded, when she heard about Delilah's injury during Parsa's attack on the gala, where she went with McGee, the Palmer's baby adoption fiasco, Tony being framed for a murder in Paris when he was on a mission and of course Jackson's death. Although they assured her that everything is fine because Delilah was almost fully recovered, and Jimmy with Breena had their own child now, but she felt that everybody was a little off, especially McGee, because during the whole the conversation he looked tensed. And after a while McGee had excused himself to the bathroom. Upon his return to the rest of the company, bumped into Ziva.

"What is wrong, McGee? I saw how tense you were during that conversation," Ziva asked with concern.

"Everything is fi…" McGee tried to say but was cut off before he could finish.

"Do not lie to me, McGee," she spoke with her 'I know when you are lying voice', "am I not welcomed to you too?" she asked sadly.

"Do you want the truth, Ziva?" McGee asked keenly "I'm happy you're back, but do you have any idea what Tony has been through? Did you know that he couldn't sleep for days thinking of you every single hour?" McGee exclaimed  
Ziva stayed silent her eyes wide open, and tears threated. "Did you know..."

"McGee stop!" Gibbs barked. The rest of the team not far behind him, hearing McGee's shouting in the hallway.

"No, Boss, she has to know. She has to know that Tony has even named one of his fish after her, just to have a reason to say her name. That he joined a men's support group, just so he can get over you, Ziva," McGee's outburst was endless. "Even his...his ex girlfriend was almost spitting image of you," he finally finished.

"Are those things true?" Ziva asked, but no one answered her, they just looked at her with sad eyes. "God dammit answer me. Are those things true?" She asked again a little louder this time, but still no one answered. Abby bit her lip, while Palmer and Ducky lowered their eyes on the ground. Gibbs as always stayed expressionless, and McGee breathed heavily like a weight had been lifted of his shoulders.

"I didn't..." Bishop started and everyone looked at her, "I didn't know about men's group, until tonight, but I could see in his eyes the…the sadness...the grief, even when he was smiling," Bishop said quietly.

"Excuse me," she said pushing past Gibbs and ran down the hallway to the stairs.

"Ziva," Abby shouted and before she followed her to the stairs, she turned to McGee and said, "Nice work, McGee."

The rest of the team stayed motionless, and wordless, until Gibbs broke the silence, "I think it is time that we all go home," he sighed.

Abby reached Ziva's bedroom, she tried to open the door, but it was locked. "Ziva, please open the door," Abby asked, as she knocked on the door lightly.

"Please go away," Ziva's voice cracked.

"I'm not going anywhere, and you know that. Please open the door, Ziva," Abby insisted. A few moments later Abby heard the door unlock and watched as the door slowly opened, revealing a very broken Ziva. Ziva turned and headed for her bed. She plopped down, head first, burying her face into her pillow. Soon soft sobs filled the room, cautions, Abby sit on the edge of the bed and started to softly comb Ziva's her in an attempt to calm her down.

"I hurt him again, Abby," she managed to say between her sobs. "He gave me everything, saved me countless times and the only thing I ever do to him is hurt and rejecting him," she cried.

"Shh, everything is going to be okay, Ziva," Abby promised, as tears started to spill over her eyes.

"I love him, Abby, I always have," Ziva confessed without hesitation.

"I know sweetie, I know," Abby confirmed. It took hours for Abby to calm Ziva down. Abby volunteer to stay overnight just in case Ziva needed anything, but Ziva reassured her that she was fine. So Abby left, and Ziva cried herself to sleep.

* * *

"One more," Tony slammed the glass to the counter.

"Sir, are you sure? You have already drunk 6." The bartender asked.

"I said one more," he said pulling another twenty dollar bill from his wallet and put it on the counter. So the bartender filled his glass with more scotch. Tony grabbed the glass with his right hand and downed it in one gulp, while his left hand loosened his tie.

"One more "Tony demanded

"I think the bartender is right you have already drunk too much," a familiar voice caught his attention. Turning around to face a woman with brown curly hair and light olive skin. She was dressed in a long black dress.

"Long time, no see," Tony said smirking, "please have a seat, do you want a drink?" he asked.

"No thank you. I am driving, Tony," the woman answered.

"I am driving too, but I'm still drinking," Tony smirked, "one more." The  
bartender filled his glass, yet again, knowing it was useless to persuade him that he had had enough. When Tony was about to take another swig of alcohol, the woman stopped him.

"Okay, Tony, that's enough."

"Amanda, why are you here? I thought you were out of town," Tony asked sternly.

"Business. I'll stay few days in town but..."she brought her face few inches from his. "I'll stay longer, if you would like," she whispered to his ear seductively.

Tony smiled and then asked seriously, "So you have plans for me, huh?"

"Yes, because some of our plans didn't work out the two months that we were together," she whispered as she made her lips come within inches of his. "I want to make you mine," she said full of passion. She brushed her lips on his.

Tony pulled away a little and studied the woman, the drinking that he had done prior to this made him have the need to have his ninja in his arms, and the longer he looked at this woman, she stopped being Amanda and started to be Ziva, his ninja. He kissed her roughly this time, intertwining his fingers into her wild curls, but something was off, something that he couldn't put finger on it. And then it downed on him.

_**Flashback  
**__Standing on the tarmac in Tel Aviv, Ziva looked into his eyes "Tony you are so..."  
Tony was intrigued by what Ziva wanted to say, he made a few steps towards her. "Handsome? Funny? What?" He asked flashing a sad DiNozzo smile. _

_"Loved," she answered after few moments with a sad grin, and tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. _

_Looking deep into her eyes, he pulled Ziva's head close and kissed her passionately, pouring every ounce of love he had into it. He pulled away for few seconds to catch his breath, then he kissed her again, but this time he kissed her softly but with just as much meaning as the first._  
_**End of flashback**_

That was it. It didn't taste like Ziva's kiss. This wasn't Ziva. He came to his senses, and pulled away so quickly that he hit the glass of scotch with his arm that was abandoned on the counter, making the alcohol spill everywhere.

"I can't," he mumbled leaving Amanda speechless, "I can't, no, no I can't," he repeated  
and without another word, he stood up from the stool with such a force that it fell over. And he ran towards the exit.

"Tony, where are you going?" Amanda shouted after him, standing up from her stool.

Tony untied his tie completely, feeling as he was suffocating from the alcohol and what just happened. A few minutes later he had made it to his car, he put his keys into the engine, and listens to it come to life and disappeared to the dark roads of D.C.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, we are sorry that it took so long for this chapter, what can we say school sucks and we had to change some stuff because the awfulness that is becoming NCIS. So here is chapter number 7. We hope you like it. **

**-A&J**

* * *

The next day the air in the bull-pen was so full of tension that you could cut it with a knife in the bullpen. Tony and Ziva were nowhere to be found and they were both already over an hour late. As Gibbs glanced at his other two agents, he could see the guilt written all over McGee's face and Bishop was full of skepticism. Gibbs sighed because of the situation, stood up from his desk and informed them that he was going for coffee and headed towards the elevator. As soon as the door opened, out stepped a very worried Abby.

"Gibbs, how is Ziva? Is she okay?" Abby asked worried.

"I don't know, Abs. She's not here yet. I'm going for coffee," Gibbs declared, stepping around Abby.

Abby then headed towards Bishop's desk and greeted Bishop with a simple hello.

"Hey," Bishop responded taking her eyes from McGee to look at Abby, "he's been that way ever since he showed up this morning," she continued.

"He better be," Abby said, "Ziva was a wreck last night before I left."

"What happened after we left?" Bishop asked curiously.

"Well after I went up to her room where she was crying. I got her calmed down enough to talk to me. She told me that…" She was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"That I am sorry that I left you all here during my time to fix everything that is screwed up with my life," Ziva snapped. Both Abby and Bishop turned their heads with wide eyes.

"Ziva," Abby tried to explain but Ziva continued to walk past them and towards the staircase.

"Ziva, just talk to me," Abby followed.

"I trusted you, Abby," Ziva exclaimed turning to face Abby, "I trusted you and you were about to tell Ellie what I told you yesterday. You are like a sister to me and…"

"And you are like a sister to me but you left me, you left us, remember?" Abby shot back.

"I thought you understood why, Abby, but-" Abby cut her off.

"I tried to understand but I couldn't and honestly I still can't," her voice dripping with bitterness.

"Great," Ziva hissed sarcastically throwing her hands up in surrender, "first, Tony, then McGee, and now you! Who is next, Abby? Ducky? Palmer? Gibbs?" Ziva raised her voiced.

"Well, you did hurt all of us when you left," Abby cried. "I hated you, Ziva. I hated you for leaving us like you did, with everything that was happening with Parsa and not letting us know if you were alive. I hated you because I didn't have our friendship anymore and I…" Abby was stopped by the emotion that over took her. Ziva then embraced her in a huge, tight hug just like the one Abby gave them when Tony, McGee, Gibbs, and her returned from getting rescued from Somalia.

"But most of all I hated you because I missed you," Abby whispered in a trembling voice.

"Oh, Abby. I missed you, too," Ziva said barely above a whisper.

"I'm still mad at you for the way you left though," she declared sternly.

"I know," Ziva said with a light chuckle.

"Don't ever leave us again, okay?" She said firmly as she pulled away from the hug.

"Never, I am here for good," Ziva replied without hesitation which made Abby smile. The two made their way back to the bull-pen where she was confronted by McGee.

"Ziva, can I talk to you?" McGee asked.

"Of course, Tim" she replied. Bishop figured that was her cue to leave because her colleagues wanted some privacy so she made up an excuse that she need to go to the copy room and make some copies.

"Listen, Ziva, about yester.-"

"No listen to me, Tim," she cut him off, "you were right, I should have contacted you every once in a while when I was gone instead of cutting all ties completely. It was wrong of me but at the time I thought it was the right thing to do…right for me, and for all of you, to do this alone. So it is me, who should apologize, not you, not Abby, not anyone else," she said apologetic.

"It's just..." McGee started, "the way you left without saying goodbye was hard for all us and the fact that you didn't contact us made us think the worst..." The young man trailed off. "Because the last time we lost contact with you for a long period of time, we thought that…" His voice cracked, "and when there were bombings in Israel. Then when w-we found out the number of Israeli casualties," he swallowed a lump in his throat, "we prayed that you weren't..." He didn't finish before he was engulfed into a hug.

"Oh, McGee," she said hugging him tight, "I had no idea," Ziva whispered.

"It doesn't matter now, you're here safe and sound. And you're not leaving again, are you?" He asked with a little bit of panic in his voice. Ziva pulled away from their embrace.

"No, McGee, I am here to stay this time," Ziva reassured him with a smile.

"So, are we okay?" McGee asked hesitantly.

"Of course, we are okay, McGee," Ziva smile widen.

After driving through the city all night, Tony returned to his apartment to take a shower and to get changed into fresh clothes. He knew that he was late for work but he didn't care. He stepped out from the elevator onto the MCRT floor and headed for his desk. He noticed that everyone was at their desks besides his boss.

"And the new world record for being late goes to…Anthony DiNozzo Jr," McGee commented sarcastically.

"Shut up, Probie," Tony spat back at him. He wasn't in the mood for McGee's sarcasm.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs barked at him from the top of the stairs. Tony assumed he was coming from Director's office. "My office now! You, too, David," he pointed at her.

"Gibbs, I did not do…" but she stopped when she noticed her boss's glare, "fine, I am coming," she groaned throwing her hands up in surrender.

After the three of them entered the elevator, Gibbs flipped the emergency switch and the cool, metal box came to halt. Gibbs turned his head quickly to face his agents.

"Boss, about McGee..." Tony tried to explain.

"That's not the reason I brought you in here, DiNozzo. The reason I brought you here is to point out and make you understand the consequences of your actions to the team." Ziva was ready to protest but Gibbs stopped her by holding up his finger.

"I don't care how you do it, but fix it. Because if this team falls apart again, there is no way back...it will be forever. Vance will send you both as agents afloat and this time I won't take you back. I will let you both remain in some air carrier until you retired, no matter how many times Abby asks me to bring you back. Do I make myself clear?" Gibbs asked forcefully.

"Yes, Boss."

"Yes, Gibbs," Tony and Ziva said in unison.

"Good," Gibbs said turning to pull the emergency switch back on.  
As soon as Gibbs exited the elevator, Ziva reached over and flipped the switch again and then turned to face him.

"I do not care if Vance or Gibbs decide to make me an agent afloat for the rest of my life but what I do care about is being the reason this team is spilt up for the third time because I have hurt them enough already. And I am trying to apologize for that. I will do anything in my power to keep this team united, you should know that," Ziva finished and flipped the switch back on. As the doors opened she added, "the ball is in your court, Tony," and stepped out of the elevator leaving Tony alone to process what just happened.

After she stepped out the elevator, Ziva headed for her desk.

"Ziva," Ellie said standing up from her desk, making her way towards Ziva.

"What?" Ziva snapped at Ellie turning her head towards her.

"N-nothing," Ellie said a little timid and hurt, "I-I just wanted to..." She trailed off.

"I am sorry, Ellie. I did not mean to slap at you," Ziva sighed as she apologized.

"I think you mean snap…" Ellie corrected her hesitantly, biting her bottom lip.

"Yes, snap. I am sorry if I snapped at you. It's just…" Ziva cut herself off as she sat in her chair behind her desk.

"I understand. I just wanted to make sure that everything is okay," Ellie explained. "Which it probably isn't," she added ironically.

There was some silence before Ellie spoke again.

"You love him, don't you?" Ellie stated and Ziva looked at her, "Tony, I mean," the young woman clarified and Ziva's face dropped.

"Does it really matter?" Ziva said locking her eyes on Ellie's, "Because frankly, I do not think it matters anymore," Ziva bitterly answer her own question.

"He has feelings for you, you know," Ellie told Ziva.

"The only feelings that he has for me, Ellie, is anger," Ziva started, "but maybe he had those feelings before, but now he does not."

The younger agent looked at Ziva with sympathy. She understood that Ziva was aching from the painful situation between her and Tony. Honestly, she didn't know what to say to Ziva to ease the pain.

"I do not blame him, though," Ziva continued, "I was the one who left so he has every right to be angry. But for any other kind of relationship between us besides of being partners, it is too late," Ziva said to the young woman looking at her with a sympathetic face. "It is too late."

"Even a friendship?" Ellie asked curiously and Ziva nodded with a sad smile.

"Especially with him because I betrayed our friendship so many times and I do not deserve another chance," Ziva explained.

"If you will excuse me, I need to use the restroom," Ziva said to Ellie and standing up from her desk. She rushed out of the bullpen towards the bathroom with tears pooling her in eyes.

Ellie watched Ziva rush out of the bull-pen until she disappeared around the corner of the hallway. She understood that Ziva didn't want to cry in front of her and she respected that. Returning to her desk, she sighed at her colleague's situation. The only thing she could do right now is hope that things for them would soon change.


End file.
